HALIFAX: Nova Scotia has introduced legislation to strengthen protections for workers and put more money in their pockets.
Amendments to the Labour Standards Code tabled September 8, will:
– reduce the overtime threshold to 44 hours per week from 48 so workers qualify for overtime pay sooner
– expand overtime eligibility so workers qualify for overtime pay when extra hours are voluntary and permitted, not just when overtime is required by the employer
– ensure tips and gratuities go to the people who earn them,
– give the government new tools to help recover unpaid earnings that employers owe workers.
“At a time when affordability matters more than ever, this legislation is about putting more money in workers’ pockets,” said Nolan Young, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration. “It will help workers qualify for overtime pay sooner, keep the tips they earn and recover money they are owed.
“These are practical changes that strengthen protections for workers and improve fairness in workplaces.”
Changes related to overtime, tips and gratuities will take effect on April 1, 2027. Wage recovery measures will come into effect following stakeholder consultation and the development of regulations.
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The legislation builds on the government’s recent efforts to strengthen protections for workers and modernize workplace standards, including expanded domestic violence leave, improvements to the workers’ compensation system and increases to the minimum wage.
The amendments also help align Nova Scotia’s labour standards with those in many other Canadian jurisdictions.
Quotes:
“Today’s legislation marks real progress on improving minimum labour standards for workers across Nova Scotia.
“These changes will ensure that the earnings of some of the lowest paid and most precarious workers in our province are protected by the law.”
— Melissa Marsman, President, Nova Scotia Federation of Labour
“The topic of tip protection has been an ongoing and important conversation in the restaurant and hospitality sectors. Nova Scotia is one of the few provinces that does not have legislation in place to clarify that tips belong to those earning them.
“The Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia is supportive of legislation that provides clarity and aligns with what is already best practice in the industry.”
— Natasha Chestnut, Executive Director, Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia
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Quick Facts:
– the Labour Standards Code establishes minimum workplace standards; employers may provide greater wages, benefits or protections than those required by law and many do
– Nova Scotia currently does not have specific protections for tips and gratuities under the Labour Standards Code
– about 32,500 Nova Scotians worked in accommodation and food services in 2025, one of the sectors most directly affected by tip and gratuity protections
– the changes are intended to strengthen worker protections while providing employers time to prepare and adapt
– Nova Scotia’s minimum wage will rise to $17 per hour effective October 1, an increase of more than 30 per cent since 2021.
